Charlie Trotter

Charlie Trotter
Charles "Charlie" Trotterwas an American chef and restaurateur...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionChef
Date of Birth8 September 1959
CityWilmette, IL
CountryUnited States of America
call designer experts proven
I wouldn't call it designer food. It's more proven experts in the field.
cook high liked natural oven root slowly takes until
I've always liked root vegetables because most of them have a natural sweetness. They have a high fructose content, especially when you cook them and caramelize them in a saute pan. Or you can take a turnip and cook it slowly in the oven until it's browned, and it takes on a kind of sweetness. These vegetables are pretty easy to like.
adage rarely
You know the old adage that the customer's always right? Well, I kind of think that the opposite is true. The customer is rarely right.
applying bars boring compared hanging people spend stuff twenties
I don't understand people who spend their twenties hanging out in bars and going to football game. That stuff is so boring compared to really applying yourself to what you do.
american-celebrity felt mall people protesting
I couldn't really relate to the fraternity or party scene, to the people out in the mall every day protesting one thing or another. I felt like there was no one I could relate to.
loud
I would always be embarrassed to read out loud in class because I would transpose words and letters and things.
I worked in 40 restaurants over a five-year period.
brothers kick
I got on a Dostoyevsky kick right after college. I started with 'Crime and Punishment,' went on to 'The Possessed' and then 'The Brothers Karamazov' and 'The Idiot.'
casual changed concept design elements exciting originally remove
I didn't want to remove some of the exciting design elements to make it work. And then the concept changed to something a little more casual than we originally planned.
life
I don't ever want to lose that mind-set where you've got to be able to realize different ideas-slash-fantasies-slash-possibilities in your life.
considered desserts food
I have always considered desserts to be of equal importance to the savory food.
almost best lofty talk
I have a goal so lofty it's almost embarrassing to talk about. And that's to be the best restaurant in the world.
certain food plate
I have a certain point of view, a certain way to plate food, certain ingredients that I like to use.
art business great knew learned restaurant successful sudden
There has been no great surprise, no sudden revelation. I knew pretty much what I was getting into. What I've learned is that a restaurant can be as much of an art as you want it to be, but it has to be a successful business first.